"This is exciting," he answered when asked about his impressions of the race.
Gibran, wearing a brown and black batik shirt, arrived at the Pacu Jalur flag-off point around 1:40 p.m. local time and was greeted by Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Culture Minister Fadli Zon, and Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo.
He then sent off the first race between boats from two villages, namely "Putri Anggun" and "Si Ganteng Ibu Kota."
After witnessing several races, the Vice President and his entourage got on the boat and greeted the crowd.
Pacu Jalur previously went viral on social media because of its "aura farming" moves, which have been recreated by global stars such as Travis Scott, Neymar, and Marc Márquez.
Originating from Kuantan Singingi, Riau, the dance is traditionally performed on the bow of long wooden boats during Pacu Jalur river races.
Pacu Jalur has been an inseparable part of the Kuantan Singingi community's identity for 120 years. In each race, long boats called "jalur" are decorated with distinctive carvings and are manned by 50-60 rowers, led by anak coki, young dancers whose rhythmic moves serve both as entertainment and as motivation for the rowers.
The race, rooted in local tradition, is often held to mark major celebrations, including Indonesia’s Independence Day.
Pacu Jalur is also included in the list of 110 flagship events organized by the Ministry of Tourism's Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) and is projected to strengthen tourism competitiveness and preserve Indonesian culture.
The 2024 Pacu Jalur Festival recorded 1.4 million visitors and an economic turnover of Rp42.16 billion (US$2.5 million).
According to information gathered, 228 boats participated in this year's race.
Related news: VP, Tourism Minister scheduled to attend the Pacu Jalur Festival
Related news: Viral Pacu Jalur dance lights up Independence Day at Merdeka Palace
Related news: Kuansing invites VP Gibran to open 2025 Pacu Jalur Festival
Translator: Mentari Dwi G, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
